Stars See Me [Interstellar] | Chapter 36 | Shadows of the Capital | Novela.app

Two weeks later, on a deep night, Lei Ting leaned alone against the edge of a dim rooftop, watching the stars as he sipped fruit juice. He was atop a dilapidated four- or five-story building. Its exterior was still clad in reinforced composite, a construction material widely used during the Third Total War. The building was tucked away in one of the narrow, impoverished crevices of the Third Planet. Between the brilliant, shimmering districts of the wealthy, these dark fissures permeated the landscape like tangled threads. Tens of millions of commoners lived within them, scattered across the planet, enduring beneath every ray of splendor. Lei Ting had rented a short-term apartment here, even though he could easily afford a house in the most affluent sectors. He did it for no other reason than the peace and isolation the place provided. Besides, when observing the society one inhabits, one cannot simply look only at the beautiful parts, can they? Lei Ting stared blankly at the sky as distant neon glows painted half the firmament. Before long, a small, calloused hand pushed open the rooftop door. A young girl, about seven or eight years old, poked her head out, searching for something. When she spotted him, she grinned and scurried onto the roof clutching a bag of steaming snacks, treading softly as she approached. "Something the matter?" Lei Ting asked without turning his head. "…Tch." The girl muttered dejectedly. "Lei, who exactly are you? I’m the best pickpocket in these surrounding streets!" "That isn't something worth boasting about." Lei Ting turned to glance at the precocious girl. "By rights, that sentence alone gives me the authority to hand you over to the Police Department, Hana." "Do it if you’ve got the guts!" The girl named Hana stuck her tongue out at him. she straightened her minimalist dress—which, though old, was still fashionable for the era—and placed the bag of food on a tattered sofa beneath the eaves. An unnaturally rich aroma wafted across the rooftop. She fished a steamed bun out of the bag and squatted by the sofa to eat. Between bites, she asked, "Want some?" "No," Lei Ting said. Hana hadn't actually expected him to take any; there wasn't even enough for her. She only brought her food to his usual haunt so that no one would snatch it from her while she ate. She had been doing this for over a week, ever since they met. From the very beginning, she had keenly sensed that this "big brother," who often vanished abruptly, would never treat her the way others did. And Lei Ting… he had questions of his own. "This is the Federation capital, where resources are not in short supply," Lei Ting said softly. "Why would anyone still try to steal your food?" "They don't steal it to eat it," Hana said with a snicker. "They throw it away, or feed it to dogs, or just let it rot in their own homes… plenty of people love doing that." The answer did not surprise Lei Ting. But because of that, his frown deepened. After a moment, he asked, "Do you go to school?" "Yeah, compulsory education. There are physical exams every year, too." Hana answered indistinctly, chewing on braised side dishes and bun. "If anyone stops a kid from going to school or getting their check-up, the Federation will kill them." A seven- or eight-year-old girl, speaking so casually of "killing"… Lei Ting wasn't particularly shocked. First, he had seen much of it during his time living here, and second… on the Third Planet of the New Solar System, children like this were never in short supply. He just hadn't expected such things to happen even in the capital system, where resources were abundant enough to provide free meals for every resident. But then again… humans had always taken from the needy to serve the wealthy. Even if he felt things should be done the other way around, it would be difficult to change the status quo as a single individual. As for starting anew elsewhere… that was even harder. It was practically impossible. In the conflicts of the interstellar era, the power of the individual was infinitely diminished. There was no foothold for bottom-up revolution; no matter how much one screamed upon a planet’s surface, it could not stop that same sphere from being effortlessly ignited and obliterated by a resource collection fleet. Lei Ting shook his head, deciding to cease this line of thought. It was unnecessary—even with its rotten spots, the Federation was currently a stable regime. And no matter how bad a regime was, it was usually far better than the absolute chaos of lawlessness. He knew too little of the situation. Whether it was blind faith or blind opposition, neither was a good approach to a ruling power. Besides, he wasn't a revolutionary. Why think so much? The black-haired youth picked up a bottle of juice from the edge of the roof and walked toward the door. As he passed Hana, he set it down on the worn leather sofa. It was a large bottle. He had only poured two glasses for himself; the rest was enough for Hana to drink for a day or two, or perhaps she would share it with her companions. Lei Ting didn't care either way; they were merely strangers crossing paths. Hana called out a "thank you" behind him. It was a word he had taught her a week ago. She wasn't very practiced at saying it yet, but it was commendable. Lei Ting returned to his room. He lived in the attic here, right next to the rooftop. The vintage dormer window often gave him the illusion that he was still in the twenty-first century. Of course, it was only an illusion. Over these past few days, Lei Ting had cooperated with the Police Department, moving with thunderous momentum to arrest numerous criminals involved in child trafficking. He had met Hana during one of these operations. Her friend had been kidnapped, and since she didn't trust the police, she had tried to rescue them herself. Predictably, she was discovered only a few steps after infiltrating. Lei Ting, who had been watching from nearby, saved her. When she asked who he was, the investigation team had slapped the title of "Police Department Field Consultant" on him. Originally, they wanted to call him a Field Commissioner, but He Yan knew that lacked a sense of propriety and stopped them, rephrasing the title instead. In the subsequent operations, Hana and her friends had indeed played a massive role. These children knew the surrounding area intimately, and their age gave them a natural power to lower others' guards. This was especially true for Hana. The girl, whose name meant "flower," had a face purer than an angel's. Every time she played dumb, the opposition would hesitate for at least a few seconds. The girl was clever; her mental strength was surely not low. It seemed He Yan was already considering adopting her. If possible, that would be a good thing. Lei Ting pulled out a chair and sat down. It was a piece of furniture entirely different from the anti-gravity floating chairs common at the academy, yet it felt very familiar to him. He looked at the heavy compression canister on the table, his expression complex. Only after learning the market prices of certain items on the Star Net did he realize that those things were far too valuable. Even if they were a mere drop in the ocean to the people who had gifted them. And then there was the extra seven hundred thousand credits… In truth, he had only set aside the three hundred thousand he had won for daily use. He had stowed the other seven hundred thousand away, neither donating it nor returning it. After all, when someone gives a gift without malice, giving it away to others or returning it to the sender is like slapping them in the face. it was an act that invited enmity. Just like the items before him… honestly, without "Pacific" to guide him, he wouldn't even know how to use most of them. But he still couldn't resell or return them; that was the most basic rule of social interaction. According to He Yan, those people had originally wanted to invite him to various banquets where many influential figures would be present. The adaptive future-tech formal uniform among the gifts, which possessed a certain degree of defensive capability, had been prepared for that very moment. But while Lei Ting needed to develop his own influence, he didn't want to come into contact with those circles so early. He knew full well that he couldn't win a battle of wits against those old, calculating foxes without resorting to violence. That would truly be courting humiliation. However, while he was troubled, Angye had stepped in to decline those invitations on his behalf. Furthermore, even the people Lei Ting had saved during that incident when he first arrived on the Third Planet had been placed into a cutting-edge medical project group with a single word from Angye. Under an unknown restorative technology, not only did every victim survive, but they weren't even left with any disabilities. It was worth noting that Cen Yan had once participated in that project group. The incident had been reported by the media as a landmark case. On the Star Net, discussions regarding the classic topic of "being forced to marry just because one is an Omega despite having great talent" were on the rise. Currently, Cen Yan had been released on bail and had naturally sought Angye’s protection, joining a research institute under his command. As for Lei Ting… his life had finally quieted down somewhat, even though he had been labeled as part of the "Angye Faction" without even having met the man himself. Lei Ting frowned, tossing the compression canister onto the floor. At a command from his optical computer, it unfolded automatically, revealing the neatly arranged items within. A pair of purple-and-red faceted gemstones; a set of sealed clothing; an armed belt where everything from the buckle material to the hanging attachments consisted of small samples of nearly a hundred different metals; a pair of gloves with beautiful silver-white metal plating on the fingertips, back of the hand, and knuckles… These were all gifts he had received. As he stared at them through his optical computer eyepiece, his vision was managed by the UI of a military-grade internal component. Above it all, a dialogue box was quietly displayed. —[Mr. Angye would like to see you. He asks when you are free.] It was a message from He Yan. Its arrival signaled that Angye was ready to formally recruit him—a fact everyone was already well aware of. And Lei Ting found it hard to refuse, nor did he particularly want to. In these past few days, Angye had given him more than enough face, showing him respect and care to an almost indescribable degree. The man had even specially arranged legal flight permits for him through the Police Department, smoothing over any potential trouble regarding his previous flight from the investigation site. When someone has gone to such lengths—care that a person might not even show their own nephew—how could he refuse? Though the other party was clearly after the value he possessed, as long as one lived in this world, one shouldn't fear being used; one should fear having no value to be used at all. Lei Ting closed his eyes and clasped his hands, sitting upright and still once more. The Calcium Cubes leaping and flickering before him betrayed his turbulent state of mind. A moment later, he opened his eyes and sent a time back to He Yan. This was the best choice. To this day, he still didn't know why his role was defined as the "Great Villain of the Calamity"… it was a threat hanging over him. Therefore, he had to have everything prepared to meet the coming upheavals of the future. *** Chinese | English | Notes --- | --- | --- 哈娜 | Hana | A young girl and pickpocket Lei Ting met in the slums of the Third Planet. 第三次全面战争 | Third Total War | A major historical conflict mentioned as the era of certain building materials. 强合土 | Reinforced Composite | A durable construction material common during the war era. 警视厅 | Police Department | The primary law enforcement agency on the capital planet. 太平洋 | Pacific | Likely an AI or guide assisting Lei Ting (context implies a mentor/system role). 钙立方 | Calcium Cube | A geometric manifestation of Lei Ting's atomic/metal manipulation abilities. 岑砚 | Cen Yan | The Omega researcher rescued by Lei Ting, now under Angye's protection. 昂耶派系 | Angye Faction | The political and social circle surrounding Upton Angye. 灾难中的大反派 | Great Villain of the Calamity | The role Lei Ting believes he is destined to play according to his "system" or knowledge.